< Previous10 • Allegheny West Magazine • Winter 2019The newly formed community choir, directed by Lindsay Shaffer (pictured below) performs in a concert in December. RTCS drama students prepare for their 2018 show. New community choir forms at RTCS Fifty years - that’s the age gap between the oldest and youngest members of a brand new community choir that recently started at Robinson Township Christian School. “Choir members range from current and former students, to parents, friends of the school, current teachers, former teachers, and even just some volunteers,” said the choir’s director, Lindsay Shaffer, who has taught music at RTCS since 2013. The idea of a community choir came to her when she noticed how many “RTCS family” were musically inclined. Now, adult vocalists have a chance to be on stage and the high school choir beneﬁts as well. “It gives them a chance to perform more difﬁcult and varied repertoire, while introducing them to members of our greater community who are great role models and friends,” Shaffer said. After the choir’s ﬁrst performance Dec. 14, Shaffer, who has almost completed her master’s degree in conducting, was excited about the choir’s success, especially in the Latin and German selections. However, she was most thrilled about the experience of watching such a varied group become a cohesive choir: “Together, we explored diverse musical themes and styles and grew in our musicianship, all the while blessing our audience as we give glory to God,” she says. The choir, which plans on performing twice a year, will put on its next concert in May. Shaffer is the high school choir director at RTCS as well as the director of a nine-person ensemble called New Song, which tours the U.S. and Canada each summer. A certiﬁed K-12 music teacher, Shaffer strives to teach students about their world and how to both live in and contribute to it by experiencing, enjoying and sharing music while developing personal skills and talents.RTCS to perform “Seasons of Love: A Musical Journey” Robinson Township Christian School is proud to present the premiere of “Seasons of Love: A Musical Journey” on Feb. 28 at 7 p.m., March 1 at 7 p.m. and March 2 at 2 p.m. The show follows four friends as they pursue their dream of starring in a musical and discover that chaos will ensue unless a “director” guides them and they can work together. Many familiar songs are woven throughout the story. Tickets go on sale at the beginning of February. Call (412) 787-5919. Tickets are $8 for adults, $5 for students (including college students) and $5 for senior citizens. The RTCS drama department’s vision is that the school’s students will develop their talents as actors, singers and dancers in an environment that encourages growth. The school’s intention is that this will act as a continuation of the acquired wisdom, knowledge and compassion for others that students are already learning at RTCS.Robinson Township Christian SchoolNYour SchoolsYour SchoolsSTORIES AND PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY ROBINSON TOWNSHIP CHRISTIAN SCHOOLWinter 2019 • www.awmagazine.com • 11%New in TownNew in Town During Dr. Mark Ferris’ 32-year career as a veterinarian, he helped hundreds of pet owners and their pets with a variety of needs. Many pets he treated throughout their entire lives. As those pets neared the end of their lives, however, part of Dr. Ferris’ job involved helping pet owners make tough decisions. It was a process that he felt demanded the right amount of empathy and compassion, but one that wasn’t always best suited to the veterinarian’s ofﬁce. “It’s just something that we, as veterinarians, have not really ﬁgured out how to get right,” he says. For Dr. Ferris, part of the problem was the veterinarian’s ofﬁce itself. With its cold, steel examination tables and sterile setting, it’s not at all the kind of place where a pet owner wants to say “goodbye” to their beloved companion. In addition to the lack of privacy for the grieving family, there is also the unfortunate aspect in most cases of having to schedule an appointment to accommodate the doctor’s schedule rather than what is best for the client and their pet. For pet owners with aging pets, just transporting their pet to the ofﬁce can also prove to be a struggle and an unbearable anxiety for the pet. Some owners may not even know if their pet is nearing the end of its life or if it’s suffering from a treatable condition. In 2016, after 20 years of ownership, Dr. Ferris sold his practice in Burgettstown (Hilltop Animal Hospital) and transitioned into a different aspect of veterinary medicine. While working part time at Five Points Veterinary Clinic in Hopewell, he began a new service dedicated exclusively to assisting pet owners with end of life decisions in their own homes. Peaceful Goodbyes provides owners the option of saying goodbye to their loved ones at the time and place of their choosing. As a pet’s health and quality of life decline due to age or illness, pet owners often struggle with whether it is even time to say goodbye. Thus, Dr. Ferris will, if requested, visit with the family prior to a scheduled euthanasia to meet the pet, assess the patient, and try to answer the many questions concerning their loved one’s failing health. There is no fee or obligation when a client requests this introductory visit. Though not an emergency service, Dr. Ferris does his best to accommodate the family’s needs. There are no time constraints with a typical house call and owners are given as much time as needed during the process to say their goodbyes. He will typically bring a veterinary technician with him and, after the pet has passed, provide cremation options if requested. When private cremation is preferred, he will personally transport the pet to the crematorium and, a few days later, return the cremains to the family in a beautiful wooden urn with engraved nameplate as well as a clay paw print keepsake. The feedback Dr. Ferris has received from clients has been overwhelmingly positive. An entire section on his website contains moving testimonials. One reads as follows: Area veterinarian now helping pet owners through end-of-life decisions “[Our cat] Fox was telling us it was time, and it was to our immense relief that Dr. Ferris agreed to visit our home to gently and mercifully ease this cherished family member into his last moments. No jostling Fox’s aching body into a carrier for a last, bumpy ride to an unfamiliar and sterile clinic; instead, Fox peacefully - and gratefully, we’re convinced - spent the ﬁnal hours of his life at home, unstressed and surrounded by all that was familiar.” More testimonials can be read at: peacefulgoodbyes.com/testimonial.html. In the spring of 2019, Dr. Ferris says he will begin offering in-home examinations, vaccines and routine bloodwork for pets that are fearful and anxious about car rides and visiting the veterinarian’s ofﬁce. For now, though, he’s applying his expertise, along with his skills of compassion and empathy, to help pet owners through the euthanasia process. Dr. Ferris is currently making house calls throughout western Allegheny County and other parts of the tri-state region, including Washington County, Beaver County, and parts of Ohio and West Virginia. For more information, visit peacefulgoodbyes.com or text/call (412) 671-3773. Dr. Ferris can also be reached via email at mferris61@verizon.net. Dr. Mark FerrisSTORY AND PHOTO SUBMITTED12 • Allegheny West Magazine • Winter 2019;On the HorizonOn the HorizonHappenings Around the AreaWest Hills Symphonic Band Concert, March 3, 3 p.m., Montour High School, Winter’s Wonders, music by Sibelius, Artie Shaw, Charles Aznevour, Edith Piaf, J.P. Sousa, Cole Porter, free, whsb.org. Death Cafe, March 16, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Faith Community Church, discussion about death and dying, see info at bottom right.Diabetes Day, March 21, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Ohio Valley Hospital, see page at right.Burst Your Bubble, March 23, 7:30-9:30 p.m., The Parkway Theater in McKees Rocks, trivia game pits teams of at least ﬁve against each other in a combination of trivia and silly - albeit fun – challenges to help players get over the mid-week hump, Mrdan333@gmail.com.Montours Soup and Salad Dinner, March 30, 4-6 p.m., homemade soups, salad, desserts, beverages, Mancini’s bread, adults $9, children $5, under 4 free, (412) 787-1050, www.montourschurch.org. Toast of the Rox, March 31, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., Kennedy Township Fire Hall, French toast breakfast featuring Mancini’s Bakery and Jenny Lee Swirl Bread from 5 Generation Bakers, beneﬁts Greater McKees Rocks Area Rotary charities, $8, for tickets call Ashley Strouse: (412) 771-6781. Fourth Annual Craft/Vendor Show, April 28, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Imperial VFD, 111 Pine Street in Imperial, 60+ vendors, shop for Mother’s Day, www.imperialvfd.org. Lifespan Senior Resource CenterYarn Donations, Yarnies crochet club in need of yarn donations, Betsy: (724) 218-1669. Montreal & Quebec, Canada Trip, April 28-May 4, six breakfasts, four dinners, guided tour of: Montreal, Old Montreal, Quebec City and Old Quebec, Notre Dame Basilica; visit: St. Joseph’s Oratory/Shrine, St. Anne De Beaupre Shrine, Montreal Casino, Albert Gilles Copper Art Museum, Montmorency Falls, more; $100.00 deposit, must have valid passport, trip leaves from Bethel Park Center, $840.00 per person/double occupancy, (412) 831-7111. Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community, May 11, 9 a.m., Stage AE on the North Shore, Mike Dunn: (412) 464-1300 Memberships, $10/year, visit any site to renew or sign up. Jacob Ferree DAR Chapter Meetings are held at the Montour Heights Country Club unless otherwise noted. RSVP to Ruth Pickett: (724) 538-4623, rpickett12351@embarqmail.com. Questions: Melissa Moore, melissamdar@gmail.com. Awards Tea, March 2, 1 p.m., Montour Heights Country Club, RSVP by Feb 27. Chapter Meeting, April 6, 11 a.m., with SW District Director Ann Harder, RSVP by April 3. Annual Business Meeting, May 4, 11 a.m., Union Presbyterian Church Chapter Social/Potluck, RSVP by May 1. Chapter Meeting, June 8, 11 a.m., with PA State Regent Cyndy Sweeney, RSVP by June 5. Follow Allegheny West Magazine!Local Networking GroupsPittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce, see page 23. Greater Pittsburgh Business Connection, Wednesdays, 7:15 a.m., Eat’n Park on Rt. 60, ﬁnd new leads and make more sales, (412) 364-6446 x 302, www.gpbc-pgh.org. Women’s Business Network, meets ﬁrst and third Tuesdays, 7:30 a.m., Panera Bread meeting room in North Fayette. Moon Toastmasters, Thursdays, 5:15-6:15 p.m., Aetna Corporation, 2222 Ewing Road, arrive by 5:10 p.m. with a valid driver’s license to check-in at the lobby, www.moon.toastmastersclubs.org.As a neighborhood based and community focused publication, Allegheny West Magazine encourages complimentary submissions of informational school news, as well as informational (non-promotional) news from community groups, nonprofit organizations and churches. Please submit via e-mail to: info@awmagazine.com. We’d like to hear from you!Coraopolis Memorial Public LibraryDates subject to change/cancellation. Visit coraopolislibrary.org or call (412) 264-3502 for more. Story Time, Tuesdays, 10:30-11 a.m. Toddlers through age 5. Tea & Travel, ﬁrst Saturdays, 2-4 p.m. Enjoy some tea while watching a travel-themed ﬁlm and then discuss. For adults and children with guardian. Viewing Pleasure Film Group, second and third Saturdays, 5:15-8 p.m. See website for scheduled ﬁlms. Adults only. Mystery Book Club, second Thursdays, 6:30-8 p.m. See website for books to be discussed. Adults only. Tara’s Book Club, last Tuesdays, 6:30-8 p.m. See website for books to be discussed. Adults only.Look the next Cornell edition of Allegheny West Magazine in June!November/December 2018 • www.awmagazine.com • 13Winter 2019 • www.awmagazine.com • 13Winter 2019www.cornellsd.orgCatalyst STEAM Grant updateThree Rivers Educational Technology Conference Since September, students and teachers at Cornell have been hard at work developing a plan to re-design the courtyard adjacent to the student entrance into a learning space. The district was awarded a $16,400 grant for this project from the Allegheny Intermediate Unit and has actively partnered with the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, the Entertainment Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon University, the Heinz History Center and, most recently, the Neville Island Historical Society. Students have been working with professionals to design the space in a way that tells the story of the region’s complex environmental history while providing opportunities for students to learn about current ecosystems. Some of the highlights for the proposed site include a greenhouse and some historical artifacts that will be repurposed as student seating. Students are actively developing plans for the space and working with professionals to ensure that the project is successful. Students have been researching and experimenting with ways to monitor outside environmental factors such as moisture, precipitation, temperature and wind speed. During a recent visit from the Western Pennsylvania Historical Society, students got their hands dirty while taking soil samples from the area with the goal of determining whether the soil can be used to safely grow vegetables for human consumption. The samples were sent to Penn State University to be evaluated and the district is looking forward to seeing the results. Students are also scheduled to meet with a landscape architect and visit a greenhouse in the near future. Each fall, more than 600 innovative-minded educators from over 100 regional school districts participate in the Three Rivers Educational Technology Conference. More than 50 sessions are offered throughout the day that are designed and delivered by educators. The theme this year was “Technology and the Future of Work.” The conference was keynoted by Michael T. Moe, co-founder and CEO of one of Silicon Valley’s most well-known investment ﬁrms, GSV Capital. Educators from Cornell have actively participated in the conference for more than a decade but this year was something special. Though TRETC was held at Baldwin High School, Cornell teachers felt quite at home because Cornell led more sessions than any other school district at the conference. This would come as no surprise to many educators in the region because Cornell is recognized in education circles as a progressive school district that has been implementing new strategies and techniques for years. In fact, when the selection committee realized there were no submissions related to the use of one of the hottest trends in coding, Micro:bits, Cornell was asked to ﬁll the void. Cornell was one of the early adopters in the region of Micro:bits coding kits and provided one to each eighth-grader this year to help students learn more about coding and computer science. Dynamic Learning Project coach Rachel McVeagh led an interactive session on Google’s MyMaps, a tool that allows students and teachers to customize and collaborate on maps. Secondary social studies teacher Amy Palo presented on Breakout EDU, a kit used to develop learning games similar to the popular breakout rooms. Palo has been using Breakout EDU kits in her classroom since she was awarded two kits as part of a Donor’s Choose project. Sixth grade teacher Alyson Rinaldi and elementary computer science teacher Kristen Bardelli shared the Sphero robot design challenge they developed last year for their classes. Students in Rinaldi’s classroom built mazes out of cardboard and tape, then gave the dimensions to students in Bardelli’s class to program robots to complete the maze. Finally, high school computer science teacher Susan Dunning led a poster session on her digital diaries project and demonstrated in a second session how she incorporates Micro:bits into her computer science classes. Kris Hupp, who is the director of technology and instruction at Cornell as well as a long-time TRETC planning committee member, reﬂected on the day this way: “TRETC this year was a great opportunity for our small district to showcase how dedicated and innovative Cornell’s teachers are.” #WeAreCornell14 • Allegheny West Magazine • November/December 201814 • Allegheny West Magazine • Winter 2019 Late last spring, the Cornell School District received special correspondence from the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Department of Pennsylvania. The correspondence notiﬁed the district that the department president would like to present an American ﬂag to Cornell. Each year, it is customary for the department president to present three beautiful American ﬂags to recipients of their choice at a special ceremony presentation in Gettysburg. The department president who contacted Cornell is Kelly Lepak, who is a Cornell High School alumuna. Lepak, formerly known as Kelly Etters, graduated from Cornell in 1987. She also had a special request, that retired Cornell superintendent Donna Belas attend on behalf of the district. Belas was more than willing to attend and received a donated ﬂag at a ceremony in late June. Lepak also attended a Cornell School Board meeting in September where the ﬂag was displayed and thanks were offered to her for thinking of her alma mater. Two special books were donated to the Cornell library in Lepak’s name as a small gesture of gratitude. Lepak, who also has a daughter named Gabriella who graduated from Cornell, was given a special tour of the school by Belas so that she could see many of the upgrades that have happened over the years. It was very special to welcome Lepak back to Cornell and her generosity was very much appreciated. Her work with the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary is truly inspiring, and Cornell is very proud to display the ﬂag at the many events that occur during the school year. Alumna donates American ﬂag to CornellSuperintendent’s MessageAaron Thomas, Cornell School District’s superintendent, is pictured with Cornell alumna and immediate past Pennsylvania VFW Auxiliary president Kelly Lepak. Cornell Families and Community Members: What a great ﬁrst half of the school year! Each spring as the school year concludes, I reﬂect back on all of the wonderful work that has been completed by students and staff. Yet, each following school year, we seem to do even more. This year is shaping up to be the same; another exceptional, yet challenging year where students are pushed to grow academically, emotionally and socially. Teachers, too, are being pushed to grow professionally with their instructional practice. With this message, I am delighted to be able to present the second edition of Cornell Today in Allegheny West Magazine. Our ﬁrst edition was a great success and highlighted many of the wonderful happenings in the district along with the outstanding work of many dedicated faculty and students. This edition does the same. I am happy that we are able to highlight the many partnerships that the Cornell School District has been able to establish and expand on over the years. Among those partnerships is one with the Coraopolis Youth Creations organization, which is an exceptional community partner and supporter that we are happy to highlight. NEP Group has likewise been a valuable partner and we see great potential in the future for career and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) programming. We are also hard at work with our latest STEAM grant project, which entails transforming an outdoor space into a learning opportunity for our students. We have been able to work with a number of groups with that project and we look forward to the continued work through the winter and spring months. Cornell Elementary also participated in a program for the ﬁrst time called Operation Warm, and a special “thank you” goes out to Cornell Elementary Principal Jeffrey Carter for coordinating that event. Operation Warm brought together volunteers from FedEx to help distribute winter coats to all Cornell Elementary students. This was a wonderful kick-off to the holiday season and I am always blown away by the generosity of our community and school staff during this special time of the year. Our annual Angel Tree program was another unbelievable success and something that Cornell will continue in future years. Thank you to those individuals who coordinate this special project. It isn’t an individual effort but a collective effort that impacts us all! While school safety has always been a priority for the district, there has been a heightened urgency in school safety resources and procedures over the past 12 months. I am happy to report on a number of school safety grants that the district has received. Thanks to one of those grants, we are currently ﬁnalizing the hiring process of our ﬁrst-ever school resource ofﬁcer and will be communicating more information about that hire in the coming weeks. Look for a spotlight on our new SRO in our next district publication. We will also be doing some facility upgrades to add an extra layer of security to our entrances. Once that work is complete we will be communicating with families any revisions to our procedures as far as entering the school building. Lastly, our continued work with The Collins Writing Program and the establishment of a computer science program has been transformative at Cornell. Collins Writing strategies continue to engage students and give their teachers opportunities to push them to be not only better writers but also better learners. As well, our computer science program has been a great addition to the Cornell curriculum and we are looking forward to expanding on our offerings. This is a learning opportunity that all students should experience, especially with the predicted career opportunities that lay ahead in the future. I hope you enjoy reading some of our spotlight stories and I am looking forward to an outstanding second semester of the school year. Be sure to check for regular updates on our website at: www.cornellsd.org. Dr. Aaron Thomas, SuperintendentNovember/December 2018 • www.awmagazine.com • 15Winter 2019 • www.awmagazine.com • 15 In 2018, the General Assembly passed Act 44, which mandates the establishment and use of additional resources to enhance school safety. One such resource was the creation of an anonymous reporting system that every school entity in Pennsylvania can utilize. This anonymous reporting system, entitled Safe2Say Something, can be used to report any number of safety concerns related to students and the reports will be triaged by analysts in the Ofﬁce of the Attorney General Crisis Center. The crisis center sends all submissions to school administration and law enforcement for intervention. Trained faculty and administrative staff members will serve on Cornell School District’s Safe2Say Something team. Additional training and information for faculty and staff, as well as students, will occur during the winter months. The Safe2Say Something platform began accepting tips in mid-January. Individuals can submit tips through the Safe2Say Something app, which is available for Apple and Android devices, as well as through the Safe2Say Something website, www.saysomething.net, or via phone. Information concerning the Safe2Say Something program can also be found on the district’s website. This additional resource is another channel that an individual can use to report a concern, but the Cornell administration also encourages stakeholders to use the proven channels that have already been established. Anyone with a concern relating to a child is encouraged to contact the district directly and immediately. Cornell continues to work with all students and families to promote awareness and conﬁdence in reporting concerns directly to a trusted adult. Another channel is to report safety concerns directly to the Coraopolis Police and Ohio Township Police departments. The Cornell School District has a wonderful working relationship with both police departments and communication is continually occurring between the school and police. Student and school safety is a top priority for all involved, and the resources listed above are a solid and secure way to ensure that all issues and concerns are reported in the correct manner so that they can be investigated and addressed. School safety has been a major topic of discussion at the federal, state and local levels. Spearheaded by the tragic events that occurred last February at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, as well as other violent incidents at schools across the country, many new pieces of legislation have been introduced and passed supporting enhanced school safety measures. Additional grant monies have also been made available to help support particular safe school initiatives. The Cornell School District has applied for, and been awarded, two grant funding opportunities that administrators believe will be of great value to the district. The ﬁrst grant, in the amount of $60,000, will be used to establish a school resource ofﬁcer. The school resource ofﬁcer will oversee the safety and security of the district, and will take on additional responsibilities to help students and families who may need additional supports. The school resource ofﬁcer will plan and coordinate school safety procedures and drills. As well, the ofﬁcer will be involved in day-to-day issues, should they arise. The school resource ofﬁcer should be viewed as just that, another key resource for the district to support students and provide a safety presence that all students, families and staff members appreciate. All Cornell staff members have been trained on the ALiCE (Alert, Lockdown, inform, Counter, Evacuate) program, and the newly hired school resource ofﬁcer will help support future training. A second grant that was awarded for full funding was a $25,000 school safety and security equipment grant. The grant money will be used for speciﬁc facility upgrades that will help enhance student and faculty safety measures. The district has thus far performed a number of facility upgrades, including to its entrance door and its security cameras both inside and outside the school buildings. The district has also modiﬁed and revised certain procedures. Due to unfortunate events in recent years, school districts now must take necessary precautions like these to maximize the safety of students and staff. These two initiatives will do just that. Moving forward, school safety will continue to be a major focus at Cornell as the district works to ensure that students are educated in the safest and most supportive environment possible. Cornell has spent a considerable amount of time and resources over the previous school years implementing a district-wide writing program across grade and content levels. This program, called The Collins Writing Program, has had a tremendous impact on teacher practice and student outcomes. Dr. John Collins, the developer of the program, has visited Cornell on a number of occasions over the past few school years to work with teachers on the program he created. Collins has given whole group presentations to the entire faculty, conducted classroom “walk-throughs” with administrators, led demonstration lessons for teachers, and also worked with speciﬁc teachers in small group settings. After each professional development session, teacher feedback is sought. No professional development session at Cornell has been rated higher. Collins returned to Cornell earlier this fall to continue his work and, this time, he concentrated on the secondary staff. An associate of Collins’, Bill Atwood, also visited Cornell to work with math teachers on implementing writing in math lessons and other instructional practices that teachers can use to enhance their practice. Atwood, who is originally from neighboring Sewickley, was extremely well received by Cornell’s math teachers. The district is working hard to bring him back in March to continue his work. The Collins Writing Program has been a very effective program for Cornell teachers, giving them additional resources and instructional practices that they can use in their classrooms. Teachers meet monthly as a team to discuss student assignments and assessments, as well as to highlight student work. The professional learning culture at Cornell continues to expand and The Collins Writing Program is one reason why.School safety updateNew school safety resource availableCollins Writing Program implementation continues16 • Allegheny West Magazine • November/December 201816 • Allegheny West Magazine • Winter 2019 Over the past two years, several teachers at Cornell School District have become Google Certiﬁed Educators. This dedicated group decided that they wanted to learn how to best utilize GSuite tools in the classroom. GSuite is a package of Google applications that includes Docs, Slides, Sheets, Drive, Forms, Classroom and Sites, to name a few. Each application has a different core function. For example, Google Forms helps teachers and students gather information from people through surveys, quizzes and polls. Google Sites allows users to create and publish their own websites. Initially, two teachers attended training at the Allegheny Intermediate Unit. Since that time, the district has been offering its own training and teachers have committed to participate during their prep time for a period of several weeks. The training has proven to be a good opportunity for teachers to share what has been working in their classrooms and to learn from each other. At the conclusion of training, each teacher was able to successfully complete a three-hour performance-based exam. Valid for 3 years, the certiﬁcate indicates that these teachers know the fundamentals of the tech tools as well as how to implement them effectively in their classrooms with their students. Teaching skills like collaboration and communication are emphasized in the program. This group of teachers can use GSuite applications in their classrooms with ease and, for many, doing so has become a regular part of their classes. With teacher guidance, students do everything from creating collaborative presentation slides to building online portfolios of their work. Starting my senior project, I could not decide what I wanted to do or who to work with. I went to the Rotary Youth Leadership Award Program and I met with the Caring Place. I was thinking about how I could work with the Caring Place since they helped me so much and I wanted to give back. Losing a loved one is the hardest thing anyone can go through, but that experience at a young age is even harder. My experience has put me in a place where I understand what people are going through, and the Caring Place helped me learn coping mechanisms so I could get back on track with school. I wanted to reach out and help others. We decided to get involved with Children’s Grief Awareness Day, which was Nov. 15. Working with Highmark Caring Place, I have never felt so involved with sharing something personal to me. Fellow student Maya Goins and I held a school-wide assembly to talk about an important topic: grief and how teens can learn to cope. We shared our stories about losing a loved one and our journey through the grief process. We told everyone that blue is the color for hope and blue butterﬂies were one of the Caring Place’s symbols. We encouraged everyone to participate on the 15th of November. To celebrate, we had shirts made that said “Children’s Grief Awareness Day November 15th, 2018.” They were sold to teachers and students for $10 to raise money for The Caring Place. We also went from homeroom to homeroom and gave out butterﬂies for any student or teacher to write the name of someone they’re grieving for. The response was overwhelming, and we put them together into a giant mural that is hanging by the high school exit. The big day was full of positive social media posts with #CGAD, #HOPE, and pictures with the butterﬂy mural and I am proud of the hard work we put in, and the response from Cornell’s student body. We could not believe how the students in grades 10-12 reacted. The response was perfect in every way possible. I’m thankful that I got to share this with my classmates so that we could send the message out that people do grieve, and we are all here for each other. Cornell educators earn Google certiﬁcationA number of Cornell educators recently completed training in GSuite training to become Google Certiﬁed Teachers. They are Kristen Bardelli, Miriam Klein, Larry DiSilvestro, Megan Fuga, Andy Erwin, Jen Kosek, Morgan Harouse, Amy Palo, Julie Roncone and Rachel McVeagh. Not pictured is Larry DiSilvestro. Senior project highlight Recently, Cornell High School seniors Sydney Grannis and Maya Goins involved the entire high school in their senior project. Here’s what Sydney had to say about her work with the Caring Place, Highmark’s place for grieving children, adolescents and their families: Cornell faculty and staff are very proud of Sydney and Maya. They were blown away by their willingness and work with this project. The reaction by all students and staff was truly inspirational and that is one of the goals of the Senior Passion Projects. Those coping with grief and trauma can visit the website for Highmark’s Caring Place at: https://www.highmarkcaringplace.com.Sydney Grannis is pictured in front of a caring wall she helped create at Cornell for her senior project. November/December 2018 • www.awmagazine.com • 17Winter 2019 • www.awmagazine.com • 17GUIDANCE UPDATESCALLING ALL ATHLETES Students who plan to play college sports must learn the requirements and guidelines of the NCAA. This information can be found at www.eligibilitycenter.org. On this website, students can learn which high school courses they need to be eligible to play college sports and how to register. They can also learn about different athletic scholarships that are available. Registration should be done the summer after a student’s junior year. Fee waivers are available. Those who think they might qualify should contact the guidance ofﬁce. SCHOLARSHIP UPDATES Please encourage students to review the scholarship listings on the guidance website found at www.cornellsd.org. First, select High School then Guidance and, ﬁnally, Scholarship Information. The website is constantly updated with the latest scholarships available. The high school guidance ofﬁce is always, no matter the time of the year, a heavy trafﬁc area due to the many responsibilities and communications that come out of the ofﬁce. Cornell School District wanted to provide some important information that all high school families can ﬁnd useful. An important goal Cornell High School is focusing on in the second half of the year is continuing to help students plan for their “next step” toward a career. Students are receiving the Career Education Standards through many classes at each grade level. Seniors began putting their post-secondary plans into action through work on their senior projects, individual senior interviews with teachers, and individual meetings with the counselor. Career goals, test taking, school research, ﬁnancial aid and application procedures are a few of the topics the guidance ofﬁce covers. Most seniors have applied to colleges and many have already been accepted for next fall. Guardians who have any questions or who want to schedule a follow-up appointment for their child can contact Gina Walter at gwalter@cornellsd.org, or (412) 264-5010, ext. 106. Below are some suggestions for what students can be doing to plan for their future beyond high school: • Freshman and Sophomore Years:• Get involved in sports and clubs• Maintain a record of academic and extracurricular activities and achievements, volunteer work, and jobs for a future resume• Junior Year:• Research post-secondary options and determine areas of interest to pursue after high school • Begin attending college fairs and researching different college admission requirements • Check in with the counselor to share research and ask questions• Aim to earn the best grades possible• Stay involved in clubs and activities • Sign up to take the SAT or ACT• Senior Year:• Follow-up with a counselor to discuss post-secondary plans• Set up tours of colleges of interest • Process applications and remember deadlines!• Request letters of recommendation• Register with NCAA Eligibility Clearinghouse if planning on playing sports in college• Apply for Financial Aid (FAFSA form: www.fafsa.ed.gov)SAT/ACT TESTING INFORMATION Cornell encourages all juniors and seniors to sign up to take the SATs. Colleges require either SAT or ACT scroes for admissions. Testing dates can be found and registration completed for the SAT at www.collegeboard.org and the ACT at www.act.org. There are fee waivers available for both tests for students that are eligible. Check with Gina Walter on eligibility. Above are the remaining SAT and ACT dates.April 15-May 3 - PSSA TestingMay 8 - AP English ExamMay 10 - AP US History ExamMay 13-24 - Spring Keystone ExamsMay 31 - GraduationSATACTTest DateRegistartion DeadlineTest DateRegistartion DeadlineMay 4June 1April 5May 3April 13June 9July 13March 8May 3June 14Important Dates Coming Up!18 • Allegheny West Magazine • November/December 201818 • Allegheny West Magazine • Winter 2019 Parkway West Career and Technology Center (PWCTC) is a public high school serving students in grades nine through 12 at Cornell and 11 other school districts in western Allegheny County. PWCTC provides education and training that allows students to be college and career ready in 15 different career pathways. These pathways include: auto body technology, automotive technology, building construction technology, cosmetology, culinary arts, diesel technology, digital multimedia, electrical systems technology, health assistant, HVAC/R, information technology essentials, public safety technology, sports medicine and rehabilitation therapy technology, veterinary assistant technology, and welding technology. PWCTC students who complete their program requirements have the opportunity to earn industry credentials that will allow them to enter directly into the workforce after high school or pursue further training at a post-secondary institution. PWCTC students enter into this post-graduation stage with four years of free career education. This sets PWCTC students at a clear career and post-secondary advantage over other students as they graduate equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to be successful in their area of study due to the extensive training they received while attending the school. With continual technological advances in society, PWCTC is constantly striving to improve its program delivery through upgrades to the equipment and technology used to train and prepare students to become members of tomorrow’s workforce. The demand for skilled workers has dramatically increased over the past 10 years. By 2026, the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics predicts a marked increase in the need for health care, construction, automotive and information technology professionals. The free four-year training that students receive at PWCTC allows them to ﬁll this labor need. Those students who choose to pursue a post-secondary degree after graduation will also be at a distinct ﬁnancial advantage, as many of the pre-requisite course requirements they will take during their ﬁrst year of post-secondary education will have already been met due to their training at PWCTC.Tuesday, March 5th Auto Body Repair/ Automotive Technology/ Building Construction Technology/ Cosmetology/ Culinary Arts/ Diesel Technology/ Digital Multimedia/ Electrical Systems Technology/ Health Assistant/ HVAC/R/ Information Technology Essentials/ Public Safety Technology/ SMARTT/ Veterinary Assistant/Welding Technology 15 Career Majors Join us for an evening of demonstrations at Parkway West CTC. You will learn how Parkway West CTC can prepare you for a successful future, by training you to be college and career ready! Www.parkwaywest.org Parkway West CTC updateThe following Cornell students attending Parkway West Career and Technology Center who made the ﬁrst quarter director’s list are: Jaidah Evans, Corey Pulford, Isis Allen, Sophia Almendarez, Tiffany Crowe, William Jefferson, Jai’Lyr Smith and Destiny Lawson-Robles (not pictured). November/December 2018 • www.awmagazine.com • 19Winter 2019 • www.awmagazine.com • 19FIND CORNELL SCHOOL DISTRICT ON#WeAreCornell Early this school year, Cornell announced that it was entering into a promising partnership with NEP Group, an international broadcast technology company that provides engineering and technical production services for broadcasters and key content producers at major events around the world. NEP is headquartered in Pittsburgh and is looking to establish partnerships in the secondary education setting. Currently, NEP has a number of partnerships with higher education institutions across the U.S. They are looking to expand and establish new partnerships with the goal of increasing community engagement, as well as increasing student career awareness in the ﬁelds that NEP currently employs. This fall, 17 Cornell High School students, along with teacher Patricia Dahmen; director of technology and innovative instruction, Dr. Kris Hupp; and superintendent, Dr. Aaron Thomas visited NEP headquarters. There, they spent the day touring the facilities and speaking with representatives from different NEP departments. A highlight of the visit involved a walk-through of the production trucks that were in for upgrades and repairs. Students were able to walk through World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) production trucks and learn more about the company, which is one of the larger clients that NEP has. Students also learned about the labor that is required to build one of these production trucks along with the equipment that goes into not only the production trucks themselves but also the travel packs used to produce international shows. Students also walked through the trucks that will be used to broadcast the Super Bowl and were able to ask quite a number of questions to NEP personnel who they met along the way. Overall, it was an unbelievable learning experience for students who attended the visit. NEP treated students extremely well by granting them an all-access experience along with snacks and lunch. Cornell is looking forward to continuing this partnership and discussions are underway regarding what additional activities NEP and Cornell can collaborate on in the near future. Cornell High School has created a group of energetic and passionate students called The Tech Squad. This group of students, all of whom are in eighth through 12th grade, work very closely with their sponsor, technology integration coach Rachel McVeagh. The overall mission of the Tech Squad is to improve their individual technology skills by helping others with technology and recognizing their teachers for incorporating technology into their lessons in meaningful ways. Students meet during their lunch period and participate in a wide range of purposeful activities. These activities include such things as 3-D printing snowﬂakes to give to teachers as holiday gifts, designing the club’s logo, and working with Google Forms and Google Sheets to collect and manage particular information. Now in its second year, the Tech Squad began when Cornell High School was selected to be part of the Dynamic Learning Project, an initiative of Google and Digital Promise. The initiative is intended to provide long-term individualized coaching to teachers, empowering them to make the most of technology with their students. Members of the Tech Squad, along with McVeagh and high school principal Doug Szokoly, were able to visit the Google ofﬁces in downtown Pittsburgh. This was their second trip to Google and Tech Squad members were able to participate in a tour of the building and engage with Google staffers in a discussion organized by the Pittsburgh World Affairs Council. Cornell students didn’t surprise anyone with their interesting questions and each Tech Squad member took something of value away from the discussion and overall experience. During the winter months, the Tech Squad will be looking to expand by offering membership to current seventh grade students. The Tech Squad is looking forward to welcoming new members to the group, as well as to the projects that the second half of the year will bring. Please visit the Tech Squad student-created website at: bit.ly/cornelltechsquadGo to: www.cornellsd.org for the latest district newsCornell High School students visit NEPThe Tech SquadNext >